Most people have heard that Coca-Cola was invented by pharmacist John Pemberton in Georgia in 1886, but Chicago’s very important connection to Coke is more obscure. If it weren’t for a Chicago invention, Coke might never have achieved its phenomenal success. Until 1933, if you ordered a Coke at a soda fountain, your server pumped […]

Bill Dugan from The Fishguy Market in Irving Park writes: “My girlfriend, Tracy, and I have been digging ramps near my home in Michigan for the past ten years or so…. We just completed a two-week process making kimchi using the stem, bulb and leaves. It adds a more succinct flavor than bulb garlic and […]

FlorioleFloriole Cafe & Bakery Debuts Pizza Nights Cafe & Bakery Debuts Pizza Nights Just when you thought Floriole Cafe & Bakery couldn’t get any better, they begin making pizza and take one step closer to usurping my life. That’s right, the city’s best spot for croissants, tarts, brownies, and so much more is taking on pizza, […]

In Poland, today is Tlusty Czwartek or Fat Thursday, otherwise known as Paczki Day (say “POONCH-key”). In the U.S., though, many Poles celebrate on Fat Tuesday, otherwise known as Mardi Gras, which will be next week. Chicagoans are lucky — we get to observe both days! Thousands of Polish Chicagoans as well as other pastry […]

The 14th annual “A Taste of Black History” will feature tastes of Moo & Oink Turkey Links along with samples from 20 other brands from 3 to 7 p.m. today at Jewel-Osco, 1655 E. 95th St., Chicago. Live music will be provided by ZZAJE, a popular Chicago band who plays a cross-section of soul, funk, […]

Still doing your Christmas shopping? Don’t overlook the grocery store, where you’ll find loads of local items you can pull together for great last-minute gifts. Booze: It may be a cliche, but it’s always appreciated. Many liquor stores are open and happy to sell you a bottle of cheer, or check out the liquor aisle […]

Lock 21, a raw cow’s milk, bloomy rind, farmstead cheese made in the style of a Camembert by cheesemaker Brian Schlatter at Canal Junction Cheese in Defiance, Ohio, and aged 60 days. Giles Schnierle of the Great American Cheese Collection describes it as having a “pleasant lemon tang, soft and creamy, complexly flavored with hints […]

James L. Kraft, a Canadian immigrant, began his wholesale cheese business in Chicago in 1903, peddling cheese to grocers from a horse-drawn wagon. The J.L. Kraft & Bros. Co. started producing its own cheese in 1914. Kraft was an innovator in increasing the shelf life of cheese, at first packaging it in small jars or […]

Dad’s Day is coming up Sunday. Here are our picks for great Father’s Day gifts. Sign Dad up to learn the art of barbecue with Barn & Company Pit Master Gary Wiviott, author of “Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons.” Wivott’s Grill Master Series classes at the Lincoln Park […]